"Holy crap! A whole box of sausages! And they’re this thick? We’ve hit the jackpot!"

  Just as Lin Tao was about to turn and leave, Boss Hu barged in with Li Li in tow. Seeing no immediate danger, Boss Hu confidently strode toward a cardboard box. But as he triumphantly lifted a bundle of sausages, Li Li let out a blood-curdling scream behind him. Boss Hu ducked instinctively, dropping to the ground.

  "Ahhh!"

  A thick, rope-like appendage shot out from nowhere, wrapping tightly around Li Li’s slender neck. Her scream was cut short as she was yanked into the air. Her cute, doll-like face turned purple, and she could only manage gurgling sounds as her legs kicked frantically in mid-air. One of her white Nike sneakers flew off, revealing a sock-cd foot.

  "Oh my god…"

  Boss Hu, still on the ground, turned and nearly lost his mind at the sight. From his vantage point, he could see the creature hanging upside down from the high ceiling. It looked like a skinned corpse, its raw, crimson muscles exposed. Though it was no rger than an average human, its massive cws—each the size of a human head—were tipped with dagger-like talons. Boss Hu had no doubt those cws could crush his skull like a rotten tomato.

  Worst of all, the creature’s mouth extended a grotesque, fleshy rope that had ensnared Li Li’s neck, dragging her toward its gaping maw filled with jagged teeth.

  "Catch Li Li!"

  As Li Li was about to be devoured, and Boss Hu scrambled backward in panic, Lin Tao stepped forward and fired his gun. The bullet struck the fleshy rope just as the creature’s foul mouth was about to close on Li Li’s head.

  "Ahhh!"

  The rope loosened, and Li Li fell. But Boss Hu, still in shock, didn’t react in time to catch her. Even if he had, he was too busy scrambling toward the exit to care. Fortunately, Li Li’s fall was cushioned when the creature, reeling from the shot, flung her aside. She nded hard on an empty top shelf with a loud crash, unmoving and silent.

  *Click, click, click…*

  Lin Tao swiftly reloaded with special ammunition and fired again, this time in rapid succession. Three glowing bullets, trailing faint bck streaks, shot from the barrel and struck the creature.

  "Roar!"

  Two bullets hit the creature’s left shoulder and chest, while the third grazed its neck. The monster let out a pained howl as the impacted areas began to corrode, turning bck. Despite the damage, its hind cws remained firmly hooked to the ceiling, like a monstrous bat, refusing to fall.

  Once the creature stopped howling, its blood-red eyes—each the size of a baby’s fist—locked onto Lin Tao, filled with hatred and murderous intent. With a swift leap, it clung to the top of a shelf, then pounced toward Lin Tao like a predator.

  "Go save Li Li! Run to the door! I’ll hold it off! Hurry!"

  Lin Tao, agile and quick, shouted to Bai Ru as he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature’s lunge. Before he even regained his footing, he fired two more shots, hitting the creature mid-air and sending it crashing into a shelf, which shook violently from the impact.

  The creature, now riddled with four bullets, had rge patches of its flesh corroded to a deep bck, emitting a foul stench. But Lin Tao knew better—this was no ordinary monster. It was a "Hunter," a creature far more dangerous than the Hell Scissors they’d encountered before. Its exposed muscles were tougher than the Hell Scissors’ scales, and though the bullets had lodged in its flesh, they hadn’t penetrated deeply. Its only true weakness was its eyes.

  Bai Ru, unlike Boss Hu, didn’t flee. As Lin Tao fought the Hunter, she climbed onto the second-level shelf, struggling without a dder. She had no choice—Li Li was likely unconscious, and Bai Ru couldn’t abandon her. If she left someone behind today, others might do the same to her tomorrow.

  Steadying her trembling arms, Bai Ru gnced at Lin Tao. The creature, seemingly unfazed by the bullets, lunged at him again, its grotesque rope-like tongue wrapping around his waist. Bai Ru gasped, gripping the third-level shelf tightly.

  But Lin Tao didn’t falter. Out of bullets, he drew a bck combat knife from his belt and sliced through the fleshy rope. In one fluid motion, he hurled the knife into the creature’s right eye.

  The Hunter let out a deafening screech, clutching its ruined eye. Though the knife had blinded it, the injury wasn’t fatal.

  Seizing the moment, Lin Tao reloaded and fired at the bolts holding the second-level shelf together. The bolts shattered, and the shelf tilted, sending dozens of boxes crashing down onto the Hunter, burying it momentarily.

  "Throw Li Li down!"

  Lin Tao rushed to the base of Bai Ru’s shelf. He knew the boxes wouldn’t hold the Hunter for long. Every second counted. If they didn’t act fast, both Bai Ru and Li Li would die.

  Bai Ru climbed to the top shelf and found Li Li unconscious. She struggled to lift her, then hesitated as she looked down at the ten-meter drop. Finally, she gritted her teeth and threw Li Li over the edge.

  Despite the height and the weight, Lin Tao caught Li Li effortlessly, his legs barely bending under the impact. He set her down quickly and turned to Bai Ru, arms outstretched. "Jump! Now!"

  Bai Ru, dizzy from the height, couldn’t bring herself to leap. As Lin Tao counted down, she finally closed her eyes and rolled off the shelf, too terrified to jump properly.

  "Let’s go!"

  Lin Tao caught Bai Ru and set her down without a word. He grabbed Li Li and began retreating, but the Hunter had already freed itself from the boxes. It roared, yanking the knife from its eye, and charged at them like an enraged bull…